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Print Settings

You can control the size and layout of your Print Edition using Print Settings, available from Vellum’s File menu:

Print Settings, as found in File menu

Overview

Selecting the Print Settings menu item displays these controls:

Screenshot of controls shown in Print Settings

Trim Size

To start, Vellum displays popular trim sizes at print-on-demand services:

Popular Trim Size options shown in Vellum

Click to select a trim size, and Vellum will automatically update margins and font size for your book. In many cases, this is the only setting you’ll need to configure.

More Options

To choose from sizes beyond the most popular ones, click the More Options button. You’ll be presented with the full set of trim sizes available in Vellum:

Screenshot of controls shown in Print Settings

Margins

You can control your book’s margins in two ways:

Inside margin is shown close to the spine; outside margin is at the edge
Inside Margin
The amount of space closest to your book’s binding
Outside Margin
Space on the opposite side, at the edge of the page

You’ll find controls for these two margin values in Print Settings:

Inside Margin and Outside Margin Print Settings

Inside Margin

Your book’s Inside Margin should be large enough that text closest to the spine remains visible. A book with more pages will typically require a larger Inside Margin.

Outside Margin

Vellum will automatically set Outside Margin to a value recommended for your chosen trim size. To provide your own value, press the Customize button found to the right of the AUTO indicator.

To return to Vellum’s automatic value, press the Reset button.

Note: Outside Margin will reset to an automatic value any time you change trim size.

Additional Controls

At the bottom of the Print Settings window are additional print settings. Use the popup menu to navigate among them:

Text Adjustments

Adjust font size and line spacing

When you select a trim size, Vellum automatically configures the font size and line spacing for your book. You can use Text Adjustment controls to make minor adjustments.

These controls will reset to the recommended value (in the middle) whenever you change trim size.

Note: Vellum automatically sets a font size that considers your selected trim size and compensates for inconsistencies across available font families. For this reason, a numerical font size is not shown here.

Chapter Begin

Choose whether the fist chapter or every chapter begins on the right

Vellum will ensure the First chapter begins on the right-hand side (or recto) of your book. Change this setting if you’d like Vellum to do the same for Every chapter.

Page Numbering

Controls for where pages begin numbering

Most English-language books begin numbering pages at the First Chapter (or Prologue if there is one). If an element like an Introduction comes before this, its pages will use Roman numerals (i, ii, iii).

Books in other languages sometimes start numbering with the Initial Page of the book. Select this option to number accordingly.

Images

Controls for black and white or color images

Choose whether images in your print edition should be in Black & White or in Color.

Printing a book in color will also require selecting options at your chosen print-on-demand service. Color printing will typically increase printing costs (sometimes substantially).

Page Count

As you alter values in Print Settings, Vellum will calculate and display the total page count for your book in the lower left corner:

Page count for the book, shown at the bottom of print settings